1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic photo studio that semi-automatically photographs an image of a subject (subject image), mainly children, and prints and outputs an image that is synthesized with an editing image such as a frame image for decoration (foreground image, background image) or various stamp images.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, at game arcades, photo sticker printing machines having a game element are attracting attention mainly around teenage girls. With this kind of photo sticker printing machine, the standard method of use is for a user to take photos by freely striking poses without having to avoid publicity in a photo shooting space surrounded by a curtain or the like. After the photo shoot is complete, the photographed image is displayed on a touch panel display, and a user uses a touch pen or a stamp image to edit the photographed image to one's liking. The edited images are downsized into roughly 10 to 20 small images, laid out on sticker paper, and printed out.
The user can enjoy storing the finished stickers as one's own collection, or cutting and sharing the stickers with his/her good friends. Further, a plurality of users taking photos together, and then equally cutting and sharing the finished stickers is also a standard method of enjoyment.
The main users of such a photo sticker printing machine are junior high school and high school girls, and the stamp images often offer cute designs to match the user base. Moreover, in game arcades, to enable users to take photos in unusual clothing, costumes that can be worn and taken off with Velcro (registered trademark) or the like are often rented out. Photo sticker printing machines are often gathered at one corner of a store so that users can select a printing machine of one's liking among the various photo sticker printing machines, and male customers are often restricted from going near such photo sticker printing machines.
There is also another idea of advancing the method of gathering the photo sticker printing machines at one corner of a store, and creating a play facility that only contains photo sticker printing machines.
For instance, a facility is known for broadening the options of the photo machines and printing machines by installing such photo machines and printing machines at separate locations, and printing the photos at a different location after the photo shoot so as to eliminate the photography queue of users (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-229181).
Further, a facility is known for separating the facility into a photo shoot area, an editing area and a printing area, installing several editing equipment in the editing area and designing the editing equipment so that they can be carried and moved around.
In addition, there is technology for preventing another user from editing the photographed image when the photo shoot area and editing area are separated by authenticating the user via a password or the like upon editing (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-333478).
Nevertheless, the conventional technology described in foregoing Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-229181 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-333478 merely gathered the photo sticker printing machines on a large scale based on the premise of a conventional user base such as junior high school and high school girls.
Potential users of a photo sticker printing machine are not limited to teenaged girls, and, for instance, young mothers with small children also wish to take photos of their child as a keepsake. Nevertheless, the current photo sticker printing machines are created to match the tastes of teenage girls from the exterior package to rented costumes and synthesizing images. Thus, since teenage girls gather around the photo sticker printing machines, the current situation is that other user are not able to use the printing machines even if they are interested because they feel embarrassed to use the printing machines.
Further, in the case of a family with children, it is standard to have a professional cameraman take photos of children in a photo studio equipped with lighting and photography equipment on special occasions such as the child's birthday or the Seven-Five-Three Festival as a memento. In addition to the special occasions described above, parents wish to have their child's growth photographed on a routine basis to have high-quality commemorative photos. Nevertheless, since the usage fee of photo studios is generally expensive and reservations are required, there are numerous restrictions, and the current status is that parents are not able to casually use photo studios.